AQA Psychology for A Level Year 2 Flashbook

S p e c S p o t l i g h t Book-link Y2/A Student Book Pages 98–99 Y2/A Revision Guide Pages 60–61 Free will and determinism: hard determinism and soft determinism; biological, environmental and psychic determinism. The scientific emphasis on causal explanations. AO1 Free will and determinism AO3 Free will — we are self-determining and can reject internal/external influences. Hard determinism — all human actions have a cause. Soft determinism— freedomwithin restricted choices. Biological determinism — control from physiological, genetic, hormonal processes. Environmental determinism — we are sum total of reinforcement contingencies (Skinner). Psychic determinism — behaviour directed by unconscious childhood conflicts. Scientific emphasis — every event has a cause, allows prediction and control of events. Determinism consistent with aims of science — increases credibility. Hard determinismnot consistent with legal system—moral accountability. Free will — consistent with everyday life — concept has face validity. Free will — not supported by neurological evidence (Libet, Soon). Compromise in the middle-ground position (soft determinism). 7 Topic 1: Issues and debaTes